When Love Isn't Enough
by skygirl55
Summary: Being in love with someone isn't always enough to want to be with them. Caskett AU. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**When Love Isn't Enough**

Being in love with someone isn't always enough to want to be with them. Caskett AU. Two-shot.

* * *

 **A/N** : This will be 2 parts. More info at the bottom

* * *

Standing at the edge of the balcony overlooking the back yard, Richard exhaled a long, slow breath and silently wished he'd grabbed himself an alcoholic beverage before slipping away from his mother's annual August garden party. Then again, he'd already consumed his one allotted event beverage, so surely one of the many employees (spies for his mother, as he liked to think of them) would have caught him, but he was in desperate need of the escape a second beverage could provide. At worst, it could lighten the tension in his gut just a little bit.

He should have been down on the lawn: mingling, smiling, shaking hands. He'd been doing that for the prior ninety minutes and needed a break. Honestly, he wasn't sure what was worse: the tension that formed across his shoulders when he made eye contact with a smirking reporter, or the judgmental looks he received from seventy-year-old debutantes who now knew far too much about what lie beneath his clothing.

Though it did little to ease the situation, he was relieved that his mother was not the least bit annoyed with him. Seeing as she had more or less encouraged her son to date the now infamous Christine Weatherby, she had little right to be. Though they had a pleasant conversation, he would not have pursued a relationship with her had his mother not encouraged the courtship of her friend's cousin's daughter—or was it a cousin's friend's daughter? Either way, it didn't matter now that their six months together had gone up in figurative flames, though the more he was spit-roasted by the media the flames began to feel more literal.

He simply could not understand it! As he had interacted with women at hundreds of different events in his lifetime, he liked to think he was a pretty good judge of who was sane and who was not. Christine had barely blipped on the psycho-meter and he'd only chosen to end their relationship because, while they had nice times together, he knew they would never have anything more than a superficial, casual romance; it was nothing long-term. She had cried, but he'd thought they parted on decent enough terms until five days later when her face was plastered all over every tabloid in the country making claims that he was a careless man, a terrible lover, and a downright unfit human being. All this barely two weeks before what was arguably the summer's biggest event; what a disaster!

Rick brushed his hand over his jaw and leaned against the balcony railing. He knew he'd been away from the festivities too long, but he wasn't quite yet ready to face another barrage of questions to which he could say nothing more than, "No comment." That was, after all, what the royal press office told him to say. His mother had agreed, and no one crossed the queen, not even the future king.

"Trying to sneak away?"

Rick was startled by the sudden melodic female tone, for he thought he was alone, but when he spun around, his surprise was instantly replaced with relief, since she was probably the only person he could stand seeing in that moment; his best friend.

"Kate!"

She chuckled lightly and smoothed her hands down the skirt of her lemon-yellow party dress. Shifting her weight on her matching heels, she did a small curtsy, and then said, "Hello."

Completely ignoring propriety (it had never much mattered between the two of them), Rick stepped forward and pulled her into a tight hug. "Sorry I didn't get to say a proper hello earlier," he said, referring to when she'd crossed his path in the receiving line at the beginning of the party. He'd promised to catch up with her when he had a chance, but he'd been derailed by reporters and grey-haired women with fake birds adorning their hats.

"Don't worry about it," she said, giving him a quick squeeze. "I know you're busy, but I saw you all the way up here and I thought I'd check on you."

He huffed and leaned his back against the railing. "Do I look that miserable?"

She quirked her lips to the side. "Justifiably so, I'd say. I'm really sorry about everything that's happening with Christine."

He grumbled. "Yeah well…I never once thought it would be this big of a mess. I didn't think _anything_ could be this much of a mess...and before an event like this, no less."

She walked over and stood beside him. "if it makes you feel better, I knew everything she said was made up the second she said your dick was unimpressive."

Despite the fact that a vision of the headline _Prince Richard Underdelivers_ flashed in his mind, he did let out a small laugh. "Thanks...I needed that."

She placed her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it gently. "I am sorry."

"At least you didn't go to the tabloids when we ended things."

She smiled knowingly. "You mean because I know enough for them to revoke your crown?"

He laughed again. "Definitely." Scarily enough—she wasn't exaggerating one bit. They'd met when he was seventeen, though hadn't begun dating until a year later, their first year of university. They were together for the next three and a half years and ended things reasonably amicably. As such, she had most certainly seen him at his worst, though he trusted her implicitly. The whole world could be falling apart around them, but she would never betray him—of that much he was certain.

They stood in silent for a few moments as he took a second to be thankful that though they were no longer romantic, she remained one of his dearest friends.

She broke the silence by saying, "You wanna talk about it—Christine?"

He shook his head, as he'd heard more than enough about her as of late. "No, no—let's talk about you. How's... Doctor Josh?" he asked of her boyfriend.

She merely shrugged. "I don't know; I haven't seen him in five months."

He felt his stomach twist with guilt. "Shit—is that how long it's been since we really talked? I'm sorry Kate."

"It's okay; you're busy."

He almost laughed at the word. Busy—now there was an understatement. He travelled all over the country making appearances, shaking hands, brining awareness to important issues. And that wasn't when he was participating in important governmental things. When he did have a free moment, it seemed she was hunting criminals and making their streets safer. He loved her dedication, but unfortunately their combined professions did not leave much time for catching up. "What happened? I thought you liked him?"

She gave a noncommittal shrug. "I put on a good front, but I was never overly invested. Then, he signed up for Doctors Without Borders and I didn't even mind, because it gave me more time to take on cases and prove that I earned my detective shield."

He hummed. "Guess when it comes to love we're two unlucky peas in a pod."

"Nah; it's just life." She let a beat go by before gesturing out towards the garden. "Wanna go play some lawn games?"

"Wanna go drink on the roof?" he countered, half-serious.

She blinked at him, clearly surprised. "What? Like old times?"

Old times—he liked the sound of that. "Sure, why not?"

She glanced out towards the party and then back to him. "I don't think you're allowed to sneak away quite yet."

He huffed as she was entirely correct. His mother would never let him hear the end of it if he vanished halfway through the event. Yet, he did not want to miss an opportunity to catch up with Kate. "Meet me up there in an hour?"

She gazed at him solidly for ten seconds before quietly agreeing, "Okay."

* * *

Gazing out beyond the manicured lawn, Kate Beckett watched the last hints of sun disappear behind the cluster of trees separating the most famous estate in the country from the rest of the world. She sat on a flat patch of roof with a blanket beneath her. Her legs were stretched out, ankles crossed, and a half empty bottle of whisky was nestled in her lap. Her head buzzed and her upper body began to list sideways until she righted herself. She was a little drunk, but not _too_ drunk. Rooftop drinking would be dangerous if she was too drunk, but it wasn't fun unless she was a little bit.

Sitting there, Kate tried to remember how many times she and her royal companion had sat in those exact same positions, though she couldn't. Probably dozens. The last time they had been there side-by-side had been nearly exactly six years prior, but it definitely didn't feel like that much time had passed. Maybe earlier in the evening it would have, but at the end of nearly four hours of non-stop talking? It barely felt more than yesterday.

Glancing to her right, she gazed her eyes over her companion, one of her dearest friends. God, she had missed him. She hadn't realized how much until about an hour into their rooftop conversation when he'd winked at her and nudged her playfully. Her heart had fluttered in that same way it did when she'd been a mere teenager, and she knew for certain she never wanted to go five months without having a real conversation with him again; he meant too much to her and had for nearly a decade.

Kate remembered the day she met Prince Richard as vividly as any other significant day in her life. It was the tenth of January; the first day of the new term after the holidays. She was in Biology, her first class of the day during her second to last year of school, when he strolled in and sat in the seat beside her which, conveniently was the only empty one remaining in the class. Before the holidays, all the students had received a letter stating that the prince was transferring to their school to "pursue different educational opportunities" though every single one of them knew the truth: he'd been kicked out of his other school after several undisclosed infractions. At that time, they had not been informed of which classes he would be joining, so Kate was rather stunned to see him in hers.

While she stared perhaps a bit too intently at him (mostly from pure shock) he smiled casually, extended his hand and said, "Guess we should introduce ourselves if we'll be sitting beside each other. I'm Rick, and you are?" She'd stammered out her name and shook his hand as best she could, half expecting him to request that she curtsy in his presence or, at the very least, address him as "Your Highness," but he never did. He acted as though he was no different than any other seventeen-year-old in the building, which could not have been further from the truth. As the weeks wore on, she realized this was not an act, but simply how he was. At no point did they acknowledge that he was the sole heir to their country's throne, or that everyone around him knew his life story as well as they knew their own.

Because they did their labs together in Biology, she and Rick were on a first name basis, but they didn't spend any time together outside of the classroom, which was perfectly fine with her, for what she observed told her she was better off staying away. He was polite enough to her and (mostly) pulled his weight in class, but otherwise? He seemed like a total ass. Her mother had once asked her if he seemed as arrogant as his royal relatives, but she didn't think that was the case. Instead, she felt a little sorry for him. He was coming of age just as the rest of them were—something she imagined was even more difficult for him after his father's death a decade prior—only he was doing so under the spotlight of the entire country—arguably a large portion of the world. Yes, he behaved moronically, and certainly knew better than to act as such, but he wasn't acting much differently than their classmates. He simply didn't have the advantage of being able to find his own way without the world providing its (generally negative) opinion.

When it was announced that the prince had chosen the same University as she, Kate didn't feel any more or less excited about the situation. She actually expected them to almost never cross paths, unless it was at some sort of group event, and even then she anticipated nothing more than a polite acknowledging head nod, but it seemed fate had other plans, for he was once again seated beside her on the very first day of class.

Much to her pleasant surprise, this Rick was much different than the one she'd parted ways with four months earlier. From what she'd heard on the news, he'd spent the entirety of summer doing charity work in Africa. He'd returned calmer, more grounded, and clearly more mature. By the end of their first week of classes together, she didn't hesitate to accept his invitation to a party that evening. When he kissed her that night, she was surprised, but the action was certainly not unwelcome. As she was focused on her schoolwork more than her social life, she insisted they needed to keep things casual, but a month later she'd abandoned that mantra and agreed to be his girlfriend officially. A week later, her friends threw her a miniature party in celebration of the fact that the third man she'd slept with in her life was a crowned prince, though she rarely thought of him as such. He was just Rick—her Rick.

Because their relationship lasted nearly the entirety of their time in university, there was no one in the world who knew her better than he, and she knew the reverse was also true. No matter where they traveled in their lives, or how much time separated them on occasion, she knew they would always be able to have nights like that one, where they would talk about their lives and life in general. They were comfortable with each other and, honestly, after the rough few months she'd been having, it was a great relief.

Almost as though he'd heard her internal thoughts, Rick reached over and pulled the whisky bottle from her lap, saying, "I'm really glad we did this."

"Me too."

He reached out and put the glass bottle on the window sill before bending his legs so his feet rested flat on the rooftop. Wrapping his arms around his shins, he continued. "Some days I wish it was still like this...when we could just waste hours with little to no responsibility…"

Kate hummed, completely understanding his sentiments. She absolutely loved her job and knew she'd chosen the right path in life—the one on which she helped her fellow citizens and made the world a safer place for them—but of course she had moments where she wished to have no responsibilities. Most of those were on the days her alarm went off before five a.m. She would lie in her bed and just for a moment close her eyes and wish for the days when the most responsibility she had was attending a ninety-minute class and making sure she ate both a fruit and a vegetable.

"I know...but being an adult isn't always that bad."

He sighed a bit dramatically. "I guess not." After giving her a slightly sad smile, he scooted towards the window, and ducked inside his third-floor suite, which was no easy task for a man of his stature. Kate was halfway through mirroring his actions when he held out his hand to aid her. "Here, let me."

"I've climbed in this window dozens of times, Rick," she said stubbornly. Granted, in the past, she had rarely been wearing such high heels and a dress while doing so, but she knew she'd manage. She slid one leg across the windowsill then ducked her body in through the opening, leaving her left leg outside. When she attempted to bring it in so she could stand her heel caught the edge of the window trim, throwing her off balance so she pitched forward.

"Whoa! I got you!" Rick proclaimed, bracing her with his hands on her biceps.

"'m fine; I'm fine," she muttered, but when she righted herself, she lifted her gaze and realized Rick's face was barely more than an inch from hers. She froze in place, the logical side of her brain telling her to step back, but the drunk part of it wondering what would happen if she didn't. Fortunately, she had to wait only another moment to find out.

Without saying a word, Rick tightened his grip on her arms, dipped his chin, and pressed his lips against hers. He held himself there for a few seconds and then pulled back, but only enough so that their lips were no longer touching. The tip of his nose still brushed against hers and she could still feel his warm breath on her face.

Kate straightened her spine so she was no longer awkwardly hunched over, and Rick moved with her, sliding his hands from her arms to the center of her back. She moved her hands to his sides on pure instinct and the next second they were kissing again.

A minute later, when she pulled back to take a breath, she opened her eyes and the sight of her companions dopey, half-drunk smile felt like a shock to her heart. "Wha—hold on." She took a step back and brought one hand up to rest on her cheek. "What are we doing?"

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly. Then, stepping forward, he hooked a hand around her waist and pulled her in to him. "But an idea is coming to me…"

He covered her mouth with his once more, that time bringing his left hand up to cradle her neck. When his thumb brushed her pulse point, she whimpered and sloppily pushed him away. Despite the fuzziness in her brain, she still managed to point out, "This is a bad idea."

He smirked. "Is it?"

"Rick."

"We're just kissing."

She gave him a pointed look. "With you and me, there's no such thing."

He bobbed his head, clearly agreeing with her. "Okay, so we're not just kissing. There; we acknowledged it. Now the question is: do you really want to stop? Or…" He stepped in close, tilted and lowered his head, until his lips touched just below her jaw. He kissed his way over to her earlobe and nipped at it with his teeth; she felt her knees begin to wobble. "…would you like to continue," he husked, his breath ruffling the hair just behind her ear.

Kate whimpered and curled her fingers around his elbow. God, this was a bad idea; she knew it was, but the aching sensation between her legs told her it was definitely a bad idea she wanted to explore.

They had only slept together once after their official breakup. During her first year out of the academy when she was cutting her teeth as a beat cop, she was working crowd control during a parade at which he and his family were in attendance. A crazy and—they later learned—drunken man drove his vehicle through the barricades of the parade route and began mowing down innocent parade performers. In an attempt to stop the man, another equally green but far more reckless cop had tried to shoot out the tires on the car as it passed. Kate was hit in the arm by a ricocheting bullet as were several other bystanders.

As far as bullet injuries went, hers was rather minor. The flesh of her forearm was cleaned, stitched, and bandaged; she wasn't even offered prescription pain meds. When she went to leave the hospital that evening, it was not her father or a fellow officer who waited for her, but Rick, still wearing his official uniform, standing outside of his limousine much to the irritation of his handlers. He took her to her apartment, sent his companions away, and stayed with her as she cried—partly from the shock of her bullet wound, but mostly from the fear that she could have easily been killed protecting her fellow citizens from a crazed maniac.

He'd climbed in bed with her that night promising only to cuddle, but when they awoke in the wee hours of the morning, they'd equally desired more. When dawn broke, they parted ways as friends, and never spoke about their night of passion again.

Thinking about that night and how incredible it had been fueled Kate to give Rick a little smile, take his hand, and pull him towards the bedroom.

* * *

Halfway between wake and sleep, Rick grumbled when he felt the bed shifting beneath him. He blinked his eyes a few times trying to determine if he was awake or dreaming, but when he saw the stark naked and gorgeous women tip-toeing past his bed he knew he was definitely in a wonderful dream and awake at the same time; it was miraculous.

He watched her as she moved, quiet and delicate, thinking she was perhaps just grabbing a t-shirt since he knew her away around his room so well, but then he saw the yellow cloth in her hand and grumbled. "No, don't go. Stay. Sleep."

"Can't," she said in a hushed tone. "I have a six a.m. shift."

He groaned at the mere thought of being that alert at such an unpleasant hour. He tilted his chin so he could see the clock on his nightstand and found himself shocked by the time. They really had made the most of round two. Yawning and rubbing his eyes he said, "Then why'd ya let me keep you up this late?"

She walked over to him as she zipped up her dress and stopped just beside the mattress. "I'd say I was definitely a willing participant."

He hummed and reached out a sloppy hand to caress her thigh—the closest part of her to him. "Tonight was fun."

"Very fun," she agreed, "but now I have to go." She arched over him, kissed his forehead, and then walked back to where her shoes had been discarded.

"I'll call you this week, okay?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "If you want."

He tucked his hands beneath his cheek as he could feel himself being pulled back into dreamland. Despite his fuzzy consciousness, he knew one thing for certain: he absolutely wanted to call her.

"I'll call you. 'night Kate."

The last thing he heard before her fell asleep was her melodic, "Goodnight, Rick; sleep well."

* * *

 **A/N** : Okay...so a few things here. One, I love modern prince/princess AUs more than anything, but I've never done a caskett one just because I didn't think it fit them. Then, I watched Black Panther, and the very end scene between T'Challa and Nakia happened and I was like...oh, yeah I need to fic something like that, and that's where this came from.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

* * *

"Okay, okay; I can't put it off any longer." Rick grumbled when he saw the digital display on his clock flip to exactly 10:00 in the morning. He rolled his head back against his pillow and cursed silently. He didn't want to move, but he _had_ to. Of course the one Saturday Kate had off that month had to coincide with an event he couldn't get out of. All he wanted to do was spend the day in bed with her, but no—he had to be well-dressed and clean shaven by quarter to noon—at the latest!

Sighing, he lifted his head and pressed a kiss to the head of the woman curled at his side. At least they had a few hours of lazing together that morning; it was far better than nothing. "I'm going to shower, but you are definitely welcome to join me." While they didn't have time for sex (well, maybe…no—she'd definitely say there wasn't enough time), that didn't mean they couldn't wash each other's backs for fun.

Kate pushed herself up into a sitting position and shook her head. "No; I should go."

He kissed her and then reluctantly swung his feet over the side of the mattress. Groaning as though he carried an extra hundred pounds of weight on his shoulders, he stood and took two steps towards the en suite bathroom. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Actually, maybe you shouldn't."

Thinking he must have heard her wrong, Rick turned back around and half laughed, "What?" Only, when he saw her expression, he knew for certain her comment was not in jest.

Kate scooted off the bed and approached him still dressed in just her camisole and panties. Her expression was a mixture of sadness and disappointment as she shook her head and said, "What are we doing here, Rick?"

Immediately, he felt his pulse quicken and he knew exactly to what she was referring. He'd even go as far as to say he'd been expecting the conversation, seeing as they had begun sleeping together five weeks earlier and hadn't spoken too much about it even when they shared a bed an average of three times a week. "We're…having fun?" he offered, though he knew it was not the answer she sought.

"Fun for now but…" She raked her left hand back through her hair and shrugged. "C'mon; we both know how this ends."

He fought a wince as the outcome he feared, but he wasn't ready to give up—not yet. This was Kate— _Kate_. The first night he woke up beside her again after so many years he knew; they were meant to be together. This was it for them. No breaking up, no missed opportunities. They were going to make it. He _knew_ that and he felt she knew it too, deep down. Perhaps, she only needed a nudge in the right direction.

Stepping towards her he said confidently, "It doesn't have to end the same way."

"Yeah, it does."

"But why?"

She huffed out a breath, clearly frustrated. "Do we have to have the same fight again, Rick? You know why."

He did know and tried never to replay their breakup fight in his mind for it still hurt as much then as it had at the time. Still, they were five years older, five years more mature. They weren't destined for the same outcome if they decided on a different one.

"I still love you," he began almost pleadingly. "I never stopped. You're in my heart, my soul." She had been for far longer than he ever realized. He'd never wanted to end things; he had been ready for the next step.

"But you're still going to be King."

He tried not to let her words singe him, though he barely escaped the flicker of flame. She wasn't rejecting him as a person, merely his alter ego, Prince Richard. Logically, he understood. She wasn't bred for a royal life as he had been. She hadn't been groomed since she was barely old enough to walk. He never knew a life outside of the public eye, and she struggled with the brief time she spent in it. As he'd never lived such an existence, he struggled with the concept of absolute freedom. She'd had certain goals in mind that she wanted to pursue, and of course he never wanted to stop her from achieving her dreams, he simply hoped to be part of them.

His voice barely above a whisper, he said, "Would being Queen would really be that terrible for you?"

She narrowed her gaze, challenging. "You're oversimplifying and you know it. It's not just a title or a job. It's my life—my whole life. Every single part of it would need to change, be different. I wouldn't be me anymore. I'd be a duchess and then a queen and not...not Kate. Five years hasn't changed that."

"But we're older now. You're a detective like you wanted."

Throwing her hands up in frustration, she proclaimed, "I've been detective for barely a few months!"

He took another step towards her. "You wouldn't have to quit tomorrow. Wait until you find something you're equally passionate about; where you can make a difference."

"God, Rick..." Her voice was slightly tearful as she raked her hands back through her hair and then turned away from him. "I can't—I can't do this with you."

While she walked towards the overnight bag on her side of the bed, he chased after her. "If I thought you didn't love me, I wouldn't be fighting this hard, but Kate you still do, don't you?"

Tears now marking her cheeks, she whipped back to him. "Is that what you really want to hear? Yes, I love you, Rick. I love that man who was my college boyfriend, my best friend. And if you weren't this Rick," she said, gesturing towards the large canopy bed in the room, "then..."

"What?" he challenged when she didn't finish her thought. She shook her head, but he insisted. "No, say it. Say it. If I wasn't a prince…."

She squeezed her eyes shut and a tear dripped out of each as she rasped, "Then we'd probably be married by now."

He took a step back, feeling her words punch him squarely in the gut. It was the life he wanted, even during his last year of university. His friends were planning their adventures, ready to start their lives, to challenge the world. He wanted that too, but not alone; he'd wanted it all with her. If all had gone as he'd hoped, they would have been married by then, maybe even with a child on the way, but now it seemed that vision would never come to be.

He didn't realize his eyes had drifted shut until he felt her hands on his pectorals. Opening them, he gazed down at her and saw sadness and love reflected back at him, which only hurt him all the more.

"The thing is Rick: you are a prince. You were born for this life and thank god you were, because I know you will do good things—incredible things. I will support you and love you for the rest of my life but-"

He pulled her hands away from his chest and stepped back from her, concluding, "It's just not enough to want to live that life. Yeah, I know."

As wonderful as it was to have the opportunity to do good in the world, the royal life came with certain sacrifices. He could not judge those who chose not to make them; in his younger days, he envied them. As an adult, he accepted the role he had to play with pride.

During their original breakup, the duo had gone round and round about that subject ad nauseum, so there was no need to repeat the past. Kate didn't want to live life as a public figure and it seemed neither their time apart nor the amazing five weeks they'd just spent together had changed her mind, which meant that probably nothing would—and he needed to accept that once and for all.

She clasped her hands together pleadingly. "I'm s—"

"Don't apologize. You're honest and I, ah, appreciate that."

They stared at each other for another few moments before she backed her way towards her bag once more. "I'm gonna go."

He nodded, knowing it was for the best. "Yeah...I'll see you Kate."

"Goodbye, Rick."

At her words, he turned away, knowing they could very well be the saddest he'd ever heard in his entire life.

* * *

"What's the matter Katie?"

Kate glanced up and met her father's eye across the table. Reaching out for her water glass, she shrugged one shoulder and said, "Nothing; I'm fine," even though she knew full well it was a lie.

Her father rightfully did not believe her. Folding his hands together, he rested them against the diner table and challenged, "Really? Because a minute ago you put sugar on your fries."

"What?" she gazed down at the table with confusion and realized the white container that rested by her left hand was not actually a salt shaker, but a sugar container clearly meant for coffee. Relenting to her disillusioned state, she pushed her half-eaten plate of food away from her and rested her chin against her fist while propping her elbow against the edge of the table. "Sorry I…I just have a lot on my mind, I guess."

"Such as?"

Kate gazed over into the watery blue eyes of her father, her only living parent, and felt the skin at the back of her neck prickle. Due to the delicate nature of her recent breakup, she had shared the news with no one. Frustrating as that was for her, she could not risk anyone untrustworthy going to the media with her story, particularly not in the wake of the fallout from Rick's other recent breakup. As such, the feelings of uncertainty had continued to roil around inside her, making her feel worse and worse. Maybe it was time she shared them with her father, who was unquestionably trustworthy, though they generally did not have a history of chatting very much about her relationships.

Dropping her voice notably, Kate confessed, "For the last month I've...I've been sleeping with Rick."

Her father stared at her for a moment as though trying to process and understand her statement. "Rick…is that one of your coworkers?"

"No," she said mournfully. Then, turning to the booth behind her, she reached and snagged a newspaper that someone had left behind. She placed the front page on the table between them and pointed to the article about the royal family. "Rick."

Of course her father was well aware of her college boyfriend, so it only took him a moment to put the pieces together. "Oh. _OH_."

"Yeah…it started the night of the garden party. We...well, it happened," she said, glossing over all the details for the sake of her father's comfort, "and it kept happening. I think he was looking to spend time with someone he trusted and I... I guess we were both doing that. Stupid," she muttered to herself.

Her father nodded. "One of you ended things recently, I assume."

"Me. A week ago."

"Did he ask you to marry him again?"

Kate felt her cheeks flush at his comment that referenced the argument that ultimately ended their first relationships during which Rick had been insistent about his intent to marry her one day. "Technically he never asked the first time, but it was something along those lines, yes. I just...I can't. how could I be this?" she said, tapping the article headline once more. "Appearing on the front page of newspapers, doing press interviews, curtsying to heads of state… that's not me."

"Then why are you so upset?"

Kate felt her eyes begin to burn as moisture built up inside the lid. God, she did not want to cry in their favorite diner, but the swell of emotions inside of her felt almost too unbearable to keep inside. Sniffling a little, she managed, "Because...because I forgot what it was like to be with him. And how much he gets me. And how much I..." She let her voice drift off and quickly snagged a napkin out of the table's holder so she could dab beneath her nose.

Reaching his hand out across the table, her father gave her a sympathetic expression. "Oh, Katie. I'm sorry. I know you're not one to be in the spotlight but...if Rick makes you this happy…"

She shook her head as she'd previously had a similar argument with herself. "But it wouldn't be just once and a while, Dad. It would be practically every day for the rest of our lives. Not just us—any kids we'd have, too." Referencing the paper once more she said, "It would be this, all the time, with no escape; no break. Rick is good for it—made for it...I'd be terrible at it. He could grow to resent me...or I him."

"You can't think like that."

"It's possible."

He gave her an irritated look as he always did when she was being excessively stubborn. "Then technically so is everything else—like being happy."

Kate clicked her tongue with annoyance. "So now you're taking his side?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't say that, but every father does want their little girl to grow up and be a princess."

"Not funny."

He chuckled. "I don't necessarily mean the kind with a tiara. He treated you well."

Smiling softly, she said, "I know." She could not recall a time when she thought Rick had treated her poorly or with disrespect. Though it may have been in part his upbringing, she knew that was not entirely the case, for Rick simply was a very kind and caring man even when he was barely more than eighteen.

In the early days of their relationship they spent a lot of time partying with their classmates. Sure, there were times he was a total asshole while playing drinking games, but to her he was always thoughtful. The true test of their relationship came barely five months in when Kate's mother died unexpectedly barely more than a week after Christmas. She had been beyond devastated almost to the point of being unable to function. Her friends, not sure what to do or say to make it better, merely offered cursory comments of condolence and then left her alone, but Rick? He never left her side even when she tried to push him away due to her extreme grief. It was that event that solidified them as a rock-solid couple that seemingly could withstand any curve ball life threw their way.

As their months together turned to years, Kate's love for Rick only grew. While their vacations were far fancier than those her age and their dates far more elegant as they occasionally involved tuxedoes, that wasn't what won her over. Instead, it was his loyalty, his support, and most of all his huge heart. He made her want to be her best self and, even after they broke up, that point never changed.

"Can I make a suggestion?" her father began after she'd been silent several minutes. Kate nodded. "Before you shut that door forever and tell yourself you're going to move on try to imagine that life—put yourself in it. And I don't mean for a minute. I mean really, really think it through, because it might not be as bad as you imagine it to be. Yes, you'd be a public figure, but look at all the good you could do, the people you could touch—far more than any one police detective ever could."

"I…yeah, okay. I'll think about it," she said with a soft smile. "Thanks, Dad."

He gave her hand a squeeze. "I just want you to be happy, Katie."

She squeezed back. "I know; me too."

* * *

Rick stepped in through the door of his palace apartment, shut it behind him, and then leaned back heavily against it. Bringing up his hands, he scrubbed them over his face and then rested his index fingers on either side of the bridge of his nose. He had _such_ a headache.

Not only had the day been long and full of meetings, it was full of long, political meetings—his least favorite. He knew they were a crucial part of his position and thus tried to grit his way through it while retaining as pleasant an attitude he could manage, but there was simply a point where he felt he could not listen to the same circular argument one more time without screaming out in frustration. That on top of the other stressful elements meant by seven p.m. weariness had settled over every inch of his body.

Pushing himself away from the door, Rick began to loosen his tie. As per usual, the maids had left a sheet of paper listing his dinner options on the entryway table. All he had to do was call down to the kitchen with his selection and it would be brought to him within a matter of minutes, but in that moment he was seriously considering going without. Well, maybe he'd have a beer for dinner—that was better than nothing, right?

Before he could take another step, movement in the center of the room caught his eye. He whipped his head around and then jumped back when he realized he was not alone. "I—jeez!" he proclaimed, clutching his chest as his heart rate jumped to triple digits.

"Sorry," Kate said softly as she stood off the couch and took a few steps towards him. "I didn't mean to scare you, but they let me in."

"Wha—I…okay…" He stammered, not sure what else to say. He hadn't seen or spoken to her in over two weeks, ever since they broke up—again. She was, quite possibly, one of the last people he'd expected to see in that moment and, given his already tired state, he couldn't see he was glad to see her.

She took another few steps towards him. "I'm sorry to just show up like this, but can we t-talk?"

When he heard her voice tremble on the final word, Rick felt a cold sweat form on his brow. Fearing her presence was due to something terribly wrong, he rushed forward, asking, "What is it? Did something happen? Your father?"

"No, no." She shook her head and he saw a tear escape the corner of her left eye. She brushed it away and sniffled, but when she opened her mouth again her bottom lip and chin clearly quivered. "I'm sorry—I'm not going to be able to stop crying."

He reached into his back pocket, took out his handkerchief, and handed it to her. After she thanked him meekly, he asked, "What's going on, Kate?"

"You didn't answer my calls or messages."

He skimmed his hand over his chin and momentarily dropped his eyes to the floor. She'd called him four times over the prior three days and left two messages. He hadn't even listened to them, fearing that hearing her voice would send him back down into the spiral of heartache he'd been trying to pull himself out of. "Ah...yeah. I wasn't ready to talk to you yet. Needed some time, distance…" Which was precisely one of the reasons he wasn't all that thrilled to see her, but he wasn't going to kick her out; he'd let her say whatever she came to say.

After mopping up her cheeks, she gazed at him steadily and spoke with a cracking voice. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never want to hurt you, but I'm scared. I thought maybe we could... but if I've missed my chance, please just tell me now."

"What chance? What are you talking about?"

She blinked and more tears fell. "To change my mind. To say that I want to marry you."

"Wha..." His voice drifted off from pure shock. He felt his stomach flip over in his gut and his heartbeat began to rival that of a hummingbird's. Had she said she wanted to marry him? Where had that come from? And what had changed in sixteen days? "I…don't understand."

She stepped closer to him and spoke softly. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last two weeks— _a lot_ of thinking. I've always…ever since our first breakup, I've never felt right. That is: I've always felt like such a terrible person for saying I would marry you if it wasn't for this one thing about you."

"It's not a little thing," he pointed out. It wasn't as though she took issue with his blue eyes or the fact that he didn't have six-pack abs. The thing she took issue with was arguably his entire existence.

She nodded. "I know that; believe me, I know that. The thing is: you're the perfect man for me. Every failed relationship I've had since college, I've always compared to what we had."

He fought to keep himself from wincing as he felt similarly. Still, the fact remained. "But I'm still Prince Richard."

"I know that, too," she said as her voice cracked again. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I told my dad about us, and what happened. He basically said everything you've said all along: I could still help the world, arguably have more influence for good than I do now. I know that's true but changing my life that much is so scary. It's completely terrifying."

"I understand that."

"And I'm sorry, because I let that terror guide me, that fear consume me, without thinking it through, because…because for some reason I thought walking away was easier, but that was just me being young and stupid. It is scary, but the more I thought about it, the deeper I looked…" She paused to dab at the steadily falling tears on her cheeks. "I realized that the prospect of not being with you is also just as terrifying. I've been in love with you since I was nineteen years old and last month showed me that's never going to change."

Rick felt his chest tighten with emotions. She was saying everything he'd dreamed of hearing and confirming everything he thought he knew. She loved him as much as he loved her—but that was never in question. The main issue she had with their continued relationship still existed, and he was fearful to believe she'd changed her mind so dramatically, for if she changed it back again he knew it would destroy him. "I can't change my life. This is who I am; who I was born to be."

She reached out and took one of his hands. "I know and I wouldn't want you to change, because I love who you are. I…I spent a lot of time thinking about what it would be like being your wife, being Duchess then Queen. I'm sure I didn't get it all right but I…hopefully I was close," she offered with a small smile.

He gave her hand a little squeeze and decided to cover the basics—the most important things. "Well, my wife would have to abide by the same rules and protocols of every Duchess and Queen before her."

"Walking one step behind you everywhere you go…"

He smiled. "No getting drunk and running around town half naked."

Her eyes narrowed and she reminded, "That was you not me."

He chuckled. "Oh right." Then, giving her hand another squeeze, he continued, "Kids—we'd have to have at least two, preferably three or four." He knew this was a large issue for his generation of the monarchy, as his mother had been unable to have any children after he was born; he'd lost track of the number of times over the years he'd been told he should have a big family.

"In addition, you'd have to be guarded all the time, watching what you do and say every second you're not by yourself."

"Would I ever be by myself?" she asked very seriously.

He shrugged. "Sure. Now. While Mother's still running the show."

She let out a breathy laugh and skimmed one hand over her brow. "I feel like I should be taking notes…"

He stepped up closer and rested his hands at the base of her neck. "We can set up a meeting with the advisers if you want to go through it all, but I need you to be sure Kate," he said, almost pleading with her to do the thing he'd wanted for over half a decade: agree to spend the rest of her life with him.

She lifted her hands to grasp his forearms and smiled at him. "I'm sure that I love you. I'm sure that I'm happiest when I'm with you. I'm sure that watching you marry someone else would be torture."

He grinned. "Especially since it would be on national TV. And they'd sell t-shirts with our faces on it."

She groaned. "God…"

Moving his hands from her shoulders to her waist, he pulled her body in close to his. "Don't forget about the stamps…flags…tea cups..."

She pressed her palms flat against his chest and grumbled. "Stop or I'll change my mind again."

"I don't want you to."

She gazed at him steadily. "Neither do I."

Relief flooded every inch of him and he dropped his forehead to rest against hers. He held her there for a moment, letting out a silent prayer in gratitude that his dreams had come true, before he tilted his head down so he could kiss her cheek. He kissed his way across her cheek, down over her chin, over to the other cheek, across her nose, and then finally pressed his lips to hers. He held her there for fifteen seconds before pulling back and sighing out, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Pulling back, he brushed his thumbs over her cheeks and said, "I know how hard this must be for you." Despite it being a joyous thing, agreeing to marry him did come with sacrifices, especially for someone like Kate who had chosen a life as a law enforcement officer and he was not blind to that sacrifice; he loved her all the more for it.

She rose up on her toes and kissed him again. "Being with you won't be the hard part. And the rest...we'll figure out."

Sliding back from her embrace slightly, he brought her hands to his lips, kissed her knuckles and said, "May I make a suggestion? While we both know this is what we want, let's take our time, find our footing. We'll talk to Mother, the advisors, even bring your father in for a meeting. It's not that I don't trust you, but there may be deal-breakers you didn't think about. I just want everything to be settled before we go public."

She nodded. "I understand; that makes sense and I don't have a problem with it, but I can't think of any possible deal-breakers that would make me walk away again."

He smiled. "Well if televised wedding didn't get you…"

She laughed. "To be clear: I'm not thrilled about that."

"To be clear: neither am I. I will be sweating very heavily beneath my suit that day."

She laughed again. "Gross."

He shrugged. "As long as you think you can handle it."

She nodded, slid her arms around his neck and sighed, "Definitely."

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading everyone!

Stay tuned for **Looking for Love** coming soon!


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